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Photos: St. Paul Winter Carnival

The St. Paul Winter Carnival is the nation's largest and oldest winter festival. This year's festival continues the tradition, unseasonably warm weather has forced the cancellation of several events.

Traditional to the festival is the the ice carving contest, which will still go on in downtown St. Paul.

The Winter Carnival runs through Feb. 5.

1
John Cooper uses a chainsaw to begin carving a totem pole from ice Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 at Rice Park in downtown St. Paul, Minn. Cooper, who learned to carve ice designs in culinary school, is working with three friends to create a multi-block sculpture comprised of five different ice totem poles. Their sculptures, and others, are on display at the park as part of the St. Paul Winter Carnival.MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson

2
Snowflake ice sculptures line an ice wall along one side of Rice Park Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 in downtown St. Paul. Most ice carvers paused their work during the first afternoon of competition because sunshine was melting the ice.MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson
3
Bright afternoon sunshine illuminates an ice wall Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 in Rice Park that was built as part of the St. Paul Winter Carnival.MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson
4
Tom Schiller, who has carved ice sculptures at the Winter Carnival for the past 12 years, works on a Dr. Seuss-inspired sculpture that will look like a snow-making machine when it is finished Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 at Rice Park in St. Paul, Minn.MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson
5
Five-year-old Dakota McKee, right, enjoys cheese curds while watching the ice carving competition Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 at Rice Park in St. Paul, Minn. He was there with his Aunt Alyssa Wilson and his brother Cumpasu Charging Thunder, 4, center, and sister Aamiyah Charging Thunder, 2.MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson
6
John Njoes shaves and smoothes ice block edges as he prepares to carve a totem pole Friday, Jan. 24, 2012 during the multi-block ice carving competition that is part of the St. Paul Winter Carnival.MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson
7
A polar bear ice sculpture that will eventually look as though it is bowling over penguin-shaped pins is partially complete Friday afternoon, Jan. 27, 2012 during the Winter Carnival team ice carving competition in Rice Park, St. Paul, Minn.MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson
8
Jerry Sarff, of team "Those Guys," carves a polar bear during the Winter Carnival multi-block ice carving competition Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 at Rice Park in St. Paul, Minn. The finished piece will show the polar bear bowling with penguin pins.MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson